Politicians going "green" for parties' conventions

WASHINGTON — Democrats claim their convention in Denver next week will be the greenest ever.

Anyone watching on TV probably won't notice much. But the 50,000 people attending will discover little environmentally conscious changes all around.

They'll eat with dinnerware and cups made of corn-based plastic. Seven hundred volunteers will be standing by, ready to explain to people to dump the leftover French fries in one bin, the compostable tableware in another.

Not to be outdone, the Republicans, too, boast on their Web site that they're "committed to making this year's nominating convention ... the 'greenest' in party history." The gathering will feature recycled furnishings and paper products, flex-fuel and hybrid vehicles and other energy-conservation steps.

But the Democrats go first, starting Monday.

Denver has a program to make bikes available to those who want them, though it won't be possible to park close to the convention's main events. For security reasons, "there are different zones that need to be respected," Democratic convention spokesman Damon Jones said.

All 250 buses shuttling delegates around will run on biodiesel. The Democrats' fleet will be made up of hybrids, flex-fuel vehicles that run on a high mix of ethanol and fuel-efficient conventional cars.

The stage at the Pepsi Center is made of 80 percent reused material, assembled in Las Vegas and trucked to Denver. Jones said convention organizers would make sure the wood would be donated to community projects, other materials would be reused at other events and that the miles of cable used to connect computers and phones are redistributed for reuse.

Wind energy from Colorado will power the Pepsi Center and the Colorado Convention Center, where the meetings will be.

Democratic delegates also have done their bit. Of the 4,440 attending, 2,895 bought credits to support sustainable energy — such as a wind turbine in Colorado — to offset the pollution from their air travel. The 31 delegations with 100 percent offset participation will get special green tags on their state-name placards on the convention floor.